Is young Bristol pretender the new prince of pop?

Kingswood-born AJ is preparing for a national tour and debut single release to put the city on the pop music map.

Former Kingsfield School student Anthony Llewellyn, 20, already has a loyal following and now he's just about to launch a ten-city national tour.

AJ who is signed to AMG Records spent last year supporting top pop acts including Peter Andre and Lemar plus performing in schools, clubs and at events across Britain.

His unique brand of electro-pop has already gained him the title of "Britain's Prince of Pop". His tour kicks off next month with a set including a huge white throne, specially made white microphone and some of the most outrageous outfits ever worn by a male pop star.

He will be taking to the road with his Love 2010, Love AJ tour performing in ten cities across the country. In each city he will be appearing at four schools, a university, a nightclub, corporate venue, shopping centre and a gay club.

After the first part of the tour AJ and his team of backing dancers and street performers will be visiting festivals and events all over the UK with performances ahead of the release of his debut single later in the year.

AJ has also been booked for TV and has been approached about international performances.

But he is very keen to build up his fan base in his home town of Bristol where he is launching himself tomorrow, St Valentine's Day, on his white throne.

He has the support of the Guy Fawkes hair salon in St Nicholas Market which has designed a haircut especially for him. The style even has a name, Moi. The cut involves a close crop dyed blonde at the back and a long, dark red

fringe at the front. He hopes the style will spark a wave of copycat cuts.

He also has a tan from the Consol tanning centre chain, who will very soon have his photo in 80 shop windows, and he had his teeth whitened plus a tattoo of his autograph on his hand for his bid for stardom at Fuss in The Mall Bristol.

He sees himself as a male Lady GaGa crossed with Freddie Mercury and hopes to be accepted as Bristol's own pop star.

He already has an 'AJ Army' in Kingswood where he grew up with his four brothers and sisters and where he dreamed of being a pop star as a boy.

And he has not been keeping his talents to himself. Over the past few months while rehearsing his new touring show, AJ has been mentoring three new pop acts set up by AMG Records new regional office in the city ahead of their launch during the "Bristol Goes Pop!" campaign at the end of March.

Girl band Vanity which fuses pop music with catwalk fashion is launching in boutique AWear on March 31 at a VIP event followed the next evening by four-piece boy band Onyx who will be unveiled at an exclusive party at Dick Lovett's Mini showroom at Cribbs Causeway.

Later that week BS1 an under 18s pop band who will be raising money for a Bristol charity with their debut single "One Wish" following their launch in Cabot Circus on April 2.

AJ's tour comes to Bristol for a packed three days of appearances including a full day of free performances at Cabot Circus on April 3 culminating in a grand finale show at Flamingos in Old Market in the evening.

AJ, who has been singing since he was five, said: "This is my life. I love pop music and performing and feel privileged to be able to do it every day. The people of Bristol have been so supportive and I just can't wait get Bristol on the map. I'm very proud of where I came from."

He said his parents, Jim, 45, Rita, 47, brother Dan, 17, and sisters are called Julie, 29, Joanne, 25, and Stacey, 22, had really encouraged him when he was growing up in Glanville Gardens, Kingswood.

He said: "My family was always pushing me to sing. I did really well in my first singing competition and just kept going."

"All through my school life I performed in everything I could and I would like to mention teacher Tim Warren who was very supportive.

"I studied music in the sixth form and then just went for it. I did a showcase in London and was asked to sign up to Universal but I turned them down and went with AMG instead."

He keeps being asked to sing at friends' weddings but there no time in his packed schedule this year.

To celebrate his tour and give a Valentine's gift to his fans AJ is giving away his single "Get Up (Jump)" free from his website www.iloveaj.co.uk from this weekend.